This image released by NBC shows Diane Keaton accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award on behalf of Woody Allen during the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, in ... more

This image released by NBC shows Diane Keaton accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award on behalf of Woody Allen during the 71st annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, in ... more

Photo: Paul Drinkwater, HOEP

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ANNIE HALL (1977) - Diane Keaton (Annie Hall), and Woody Allen (Alvie Singer) chat in the street after having met for the first time on a tennis court, in "Annie Hall," a United Artists 1977 release. HOUCHRON CAPTION (04/24/1977): Diane Keaton and Woody Allen chat on the street after having met for the first time on a tennis court in Allen's latest film "Annie Hall." HOUCHRON CAPTION (01/03/1980): Rounding out the trio of men responsible for the better comedies in the 1970s is Woody Allen who yearns for heavier subject matter. HOUCHRON CAPTION (03/11/1982): Diane Keaton and Woody Allen in the scene in which they meet in "Annie Hall." HOUCHRON CAPTION (03/24/1991): Diane Keaton, 1977 Best Actress, liked the "Annie Hall" look. By the way, don't expect to see Woody Allen at the Oscars. HOUCHRON CAPTION (05/21/2001): Diane Keaton and Woody Allen played a quirky couple in "Annie Hall," which dominated the Academy Awards in 1977, winning Oscars for best picture, best director (Allen), best actress (Keaton) and best screenplay. less

ANNIE HALL (1977) - Diane Keaton (Annie Hall), and Woody Allen (Alvie Singer) chat in the street after having met for the first time on a tennis court, in "Annie Hall," a United Artists 1977 release. HOUCHRON ... more

Photo: Unknown

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Actress Diane Keaton says she favors turtlenecks because she thinks it looks better to hide everything.

Actress Diane Keaton says she favors turtlenecks because she thinks it looks better to hide everything.

NEW YORK - MAY 13: Actress Diane Keaton poses with her book "California Romantica" at Rizzoli Bookstore on May 13, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - MAY 13: Actress Diane Keaton poses with her book "California Romantica" at Rizzoli Bookstore on May 13, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Photo: Amy Sussman, Stringer

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Diane Keaton arrives for the 76th annual Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 29, 2004, in Los Angeles. Keaton is nominated for best actress in a leading role for her work in "Somethings Gotta Give." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon). HOUCHRON CAPTION (03/01/2004): Diane Keaton tops her Ralph Lauren black slacks and men's jacket with a quirky bowler hat. less

Diane Keaton arrives for the 76th annual Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 29, 2004, in Los Angeles. Keaton is nominated for best actress in a leading role for her work in "Somethings Gotta Give." (AP Photo/Reed ... more

Photo: REED SAXON, STF

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KRT ENTERTAINMENT STAND ALONE PHOTO SLUGGED: SOMETHINGSGOTTAGIVE KRT PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLAS KHAYAT/ABACA PRESS (December 3) Cast member Diane Keaton arrives at the Ziegfeld Theatre to attend the world premiere of "Something's Gotta Give," in New York City, Wednesday, December 3, 2003. (lde) 2003. HOUCHRON CAPTION (01/18/2004): Actress Diane Keaton arrives at the world premiere of ``Something's Gotta Give,'' a film in which she stars, in New York City on Dec. 3. less

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 18: Actress Diane Keaton arrives at ELLE's 17th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute at The Four Seasons Hotel on October 18, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jeff Vespa/Getty Images For Elle Magazine) less

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 18: Actress Diane Keaton arrives at ELLE's 17th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute at The Four Seasons Hotel on October 18, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jeff ... more

Photo: Jeff Vespa, Stringer

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FILE--Actress Diane Keaton is shown in this May 18, 1995, file photo. Keaton thought at first she would prefer to remain off-camera for her latest film, a story she directed about three sisters and their ailing father. Then she thought, what if the other actors in 'Hanging Up,' Meg Ryan, Walter Matthau and Lisa Kudrow, gave her hassles? 'I was completely terrified of Meg and Walter and Lisa,' Keaton said in a telephone interview Friday, Aug. 20, 1999. 'I didn't know what they'd be like.' Keaton decidedto jump in and play the older sister herself, figuring 'if I'm in there, I knew I wouldn't have problems with one of the players.' (AP Photo/Rhonda Birdorf, File) less

FILE--Actress Diane Keaton is shown in this May 18, 1995, file photo. Keaton thought at first she would prefer to remain off-camera for her latest film, a story she directed about three sisters and their ailing ... more

Photo: RHONDA BIRDORF, STR

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Diane Keaton on career, family and clothes

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You wouldn't think an accomplished actress such as Diane Keaton would have stage fright.

But when she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes for director Woody Allen, Keaton says she was absolutely terrified.

"I don't go out in front of people a lot, although I have recently tried to expand my speaking skills," she said. "I was standing onstage, and just 10 feet away, there was Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. It was frightening, but it was an honor to accept the award for Woody. He's my dear friend, obviously."

Keaton will get another chance to expand her speaking skills Thursday when she visits Houston for the Brilliant Lecture Series.

Known for playing free-spirited, independent and eccentric characters, Keaton also is an accomplished photographer, real estate developer and acknowledged Pinterest addict known for her signature menswear, turtlenecks and long gloves. In 1996, at the age of 50, Keaton adopted a daughter, Dexter, followed by son Duke. She's never married.

Keaton talked with the Chronicle about her career, her gratitude to Allen and her mother, Dorothy Hall, and why she'll never stop wearing turtlenecks.

A: Because of Woody, I have had the opportunity to have a career I otherwise would not have had at all. (She starred in eight of his films.) That gave me all these other opportunities to employ myself and spend my time with my hobbies.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: I really enjoy editing books. I have a lot of them now. I write forewords to other people's books, and I love visual books. I wrote another book, "Let's Just Say It Wasn't Pretty," (Random House, available in April) which is based on my thoughts about beauty and what it is to be a woman. I've had the opportunity to do all the things I've wanted to do. To buy and sell homes, which I love. To be part of the preservation society for saving great architecture, particularly residential. All these things would have never ever happened without the opportunity to work with Woody. He gave me that.

Q: Is there anything you would change about your career path?

A: I might have taken more opportunities had I not been so snooty about it in the beginning.

Q: You were snooty?

A: I mean, I had a lot of opportunities I passed on after I did "Annie Hall." (She won an Academy Award for her title role in Allen's 1977 film.) I think I should have done more of them, but I wasn't ready. Maybe if I had been a different person or had been in a different time in my life, I would have done things differently. But I did what I did. There's no going back.

Q: You adopted your first child at age 50. How did motherhood change you?

A: When you live a life based simply on being you, it changes you a lot when you have to really spend time helping someone become an adult in the world, and caring for them and loving them. I would have preferred to have gotten on that train earlier, but I did what I did.

A: Being a late developer, it probably was better for me. I wasn't really very mature in my 30s, but I had some interesting boyfriends. I'm not really very mature now. I'm better than I was. If I live to 120, maybe I'll be better than I am now.

Q: When did you know you were somewhat mature?

A: When I realized that I wasn't going to be married to any of those people (boyfriends), and I wasn't going to have a life with them. Then my father died (in 1990). That made a big difference in my life. It changed things a lot. I was very happy being a daughter. I didn't feel that responsibility (to get married). That's partially why I developed so late.

Q: What did you learn from your mother?

A: I learned if you have a dream you should go for it. … My mother was the first person who said, "Try whatever you want, Diane." She never made a judgment call. She never said, "Oh, maybe you shouldn't pierce your ears." When I was in high school in the 1960s, she was always at the forefront of leading me to try anything that I was interested in. She was my mentor and my first partner.

Q: What are you doing right now?

A: Like right now? You know what I'm doing? I'm cutting out pictures that I saved from magazines for Pinterest. I'm addicted to Pinterest.

Q: Really, why?

A: It's the cyberspace world of visual imagery. I couldn't be more in love with visual imagery. I did one book, "House" (Rizzoli, 2012), and I'm going to do another book about a house, basically, about the dream I have of the house I'm building. I'm going to present the dream in imagery, then I'm going to show the reality at the end. So right now, I throw images onto my desk, then I edit them and put them in notebooks to put on Pinterest. I'm such an addict. It's soothing. It's beautiful.

Q: You have a Pinterest account you post to yourself?

A: Of course! It's under Diane Keaton

Q: OK, I'll follow you.

A: Go for it! I'm in love with it, seriously.

Q: With so many celebrities in their 20s and 30s putting all their affairs out on social media, if you were that age now, would you do the same?

A: At the time when I was coming up in the 1970s, the whole mode of operating was that a little goes a long way. You don't want to wear out your welcome. If you give away too much, you would become boring. I think there's some truth to that. At the same time, we're living in a completely different world. So if you're a young actress now, you have to be in social media to be in the game. Some people handle it well. Some people don't.

Q: You often play characters who are independent but vulnerable. What is it about these roles that attracts you?

A: It's just an extension of me. Rob Reiner (producer, director, actor) said one time, "Well, Diane, you and I, we've always been playing ourselves." That's the first time someone actually said it.

Q: So a lot what we see on the big screen is who you really are?

A: I think so, but I think it's true of most actors and actresses in film with the exception of those who have the extraordinary ability to transform themselves into other people, like Meryl Streep. She's the definition of a great actor.

Q: You have been vocal about aging gracefully (sans plastic surgery). What's the easiest and hardest thing about aging?

A: The easiest thing is you have no choice (to age), if you're lucky. The hardest thing is you're going to die. There are aspects of aging that are amazing, but we all look in the mirror every morning, and it's hard sometimes. I think men struggle, just as much as women. It's just that women are a little more vocal about it. But I think that's changing.

Q: Why do you like wearing menswear clothing?

A: I've admired that look early on from the streets of New York in the 1970s. Women wearing pants and ties. A lot of people were doing that. It was Ralph Lauren in the early days. He was one of the first to do a pant suit for women and give her a tie. It's not a new look. Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich both wore their suits and tuxes.

Q: Why do you like turtlenecks so much?

A: I just think it looks better to hide everything. Trust me, I'm right about this. You don't want the arms flailing about when you're past a certain age.

Q: How many turtlenecks do you own?

A: I have a lot of turtlenecks, obviously.

Q: Do you have a favorite brand?

A: Well, I'd actually love to start a line of turtlenecks. But who wants to do it with me? Thus far, nobody. I'm ready to brand out. Let's get this going before it's too late.